Stellar AfricaGold - Up to 583 ppb Gold in Soils at Priority Fifty-Five Prospect, Zuénoula, Côte D’Ivoire
Vancouver, BC – March 31, 2026 Stellar AfricaGold Inc. (“Stellar” or the “Company”) (TSXV: SPX) provides the following update on the exploration progress at the Stellar-MetalsGrove Joint Venture Zuénoula Gold Project, Cote d’Ivoire.
Highlights
- Seven gold prospects now defined by soil sampling at Zuénoula, including previously
announced Fifty-Five, Central and South-East Prospects, with one or more >30 ppb Au soil anomalies.
- The Fifty-Five Prospect upgraded to top-priority exploration target, with a peak 583 ppb Au
soil anomaly located at the centre of a 3.3 km-long, NE-trending gold anomalous corridor (>20 ppb Au), interpreted to remain open to the northeast
- Central Prospect further strengthened, with a 148 ppb Au soil anomaly confirmed from 400 m
× 400 m infill sampling within a broader anomalous area
- Additional prospects, designated as the Eastern, Rouge, Konezra and South-West prospects,
defined from wide-spaced 1,000 m × 1,000 m soil sampling, highlighting district-scale prospectivity.
- Infill and extensional soil sampling programs planned at Fifty-Five Prospect, including 200 m ×
200 m infill and 400 m × 400 m step-out sampling to the northeast along the interpreted mineralised trend.
- Large-scale infill 400m x 400m soil program (34 km²) planned between Central and Eastern
Prospects to follow-up multiple, broad-spaced (1000m x 1000m) gold soil anomalies up to 144 ppb Au and define a potential structural corridor.
- Regolith mapping is nearing completion and LiDAR-orthophoto survey has been extended
northwards to cover Fifty-Five Prospect, supporting improved interpretation of gold anomalies.
Stellar-MetalsGrove Joint Venture Zuénoula Gold Project, Cote d’Ivoire.
The Stellar-MetalsGrove Zuénoula Gold Project is a joint venture exploration project between Stellar’s Ivorian subsidiary Aucrest SARL (“Aucrest”) and MetalsGrove Mining Ltd. subsidiary MetalsGrove CDI Pty Ltd (MetalsGrove) to advance Stellar’s 395.78 square kilometer early-stage exploration permit called Zuénoula in Côte d’Ivoire. Pursuant to the joint venture agreement MetalsGrove, the project operator, may earn up to a 50% interest in the Zuénoula Gold Project by incurring US$3,000,000 in exploration expenditures and up to an 80% interest in the Zuénoula Gold Project by incurring a total of US$6,000,000 in exploration expenditures. (For further details of the Stellar-MetalsGrove Joint Venture Agreement see Stellar news release December 9, 2025.)
Stellar Management Commentary
Stellar President and CEO J. François Lalonde commented:
“These results, including the identification of a high-grade 583 ppb gold soil anomaly at the Fifty-Five Prospect within a 3.3 km anomalous trend taken together with the multiple newly defined prospects, represent a significant step forward in advancing the exploration at Zuénoula permit, and highlight the strong district-scale potential of the Zuénoula gold Project.
Significantly, the Fifty-Five anomaly remains open to the northeast, and there is considerable upside potential in extending sampling along this mineralised corridor. With systematic infill and extensional sampling programs now planned, and supported by regolith mapping and LiDAR data, the Stellar- MetalsGrove Joint Venture is well-positioned to rapidly advance these targets towards drill testing.”
Fire Assay Results, Seven Gold Prospects Defined by Soil Sampling
Stellar is pleased to announce is pleased to announce that fire assay gold results received from soil sampling programs completed at Zuénoula permit (PR-750) in Côte d’Ivoire have defined seven gold prospects across the Zuénoula permit area (Figure 1). (see Figure 1 below).
Figure 1. Zuénoula soil sampling progress and seven (7) exploration prospects on aeromagnetic image (RTP)
These seven gold prospects include the previously reported Fifty-Five, Central and South-East Prospects, together with newly identified Eastern, Rouge, Konezra and South-West Prospects, all characterised by one or more +30 ppb Au soil anomalies derived from systematic geochemical soil sampling.
Fifty-Five Prospect
The Fifty-Five Prospect has been elevated to the Company’s highest-priority exploration target following the identification of a peak soil anomaly of 583 ppb Au in 400 m × 400 m infill soil sampling. The anomaly is located within the centre of a 3.3 km-long, NE-trending gold anomalous corridor (>20 ppb Au), which is interpreted to be structurally controlled and remains open to the northeast.
The scale, coherency and tenor of the gold soil anomaly strongly indicate potential for bedrock-hosted gold mineralisation, consistent with the structurally controlled gold mineralisation found within the Birimian terrane of West Africa.
Central Prospect
At the Central Prospect, located approximately 1 km south of Fifty-Five, a 148 ppb Au soil anomaly has been identified within a broader ~20 km² zone of scattered >20 ppb Au anomalies (Figure 1).
The distribution and scale of anomalism suggest the presence of potentially multiple mineralised sources aligned along a NE-trending structural corridor.
Additional Prospects Defined
Four additional new prospects, designated as the Eastern, Rouge, Konezra and South-West prospects, have been delineated by broad-spaced 1,000 m × 1,000 m soil sampling, each defined by discrete >30 ppb Au soil anomalies.
These results demonstrate the district-scale gold potential of the Zuénoula permit and highlight multiple areas to focus systematic follow-up exploration.
Regolith and LiDAR Programs
To support the interpretation of soil geochemistry, the Company is conducting extensive regolith mapping and flying two LiDAR-orthophoto surveys to develop high-resolution topographic models of priority prospect areas (Figure 2).
- Regolith mapping is nearing completion and will define areas of transported versus residual cover, improving confidence in anomaly interpretation
- Two high-resolution LiDAR-orthophoto surveys has been flown at the Fifty-Five and Central Prospects, providing detailed topographic data to assist in mapping:
- Drainage patterns
- Soil transport pathways
- Structural features
- Areas of outcrop
- Artisanal mining activity, if present.
These datasets will play a critical role in refining exploration targets and optimising follow-up exploration programs.
Figure 2. Zuénoula regolith mapping and LiDAR-orthophoto areas
Next Phase of Work
The Company is planning a systematic next phase of exploration to advance priority prospects (Figure 3), including: -
1. Infill soil sampling at Fifty-Five Prospect
- 200 m × 200 m grid over approximately 12 km²
2. Extensional sampling at Fifty-Five Prospect
- 400 m × 400 m grid over approximately 11 km²
- Focused to the northeast along the interpreted gold anomalous trend
3. Infill sampling between Central, Eastern and Konezra Prospects
- 400 m × 400 m grid over approximately 34 km², designed to test and define mineralised corridor
4. Completion and integration of regolith mapping
- 160 km² area already mapped
- To identify areas where transported cover may impact the effectiveness of soil geochemistry
5. Processing and interpretation of LiDAR-orthophoto data
- Two areas covering 32 km² to support structural and geomorphological interpretation
6. Prioritisation of follow-up programs
- Across Rouge, South-West and Konezra Prospects
Figure 3. Zuénoula planned next phases of soil infill sampling
About the Zuénoula Gold Project
The Stellar-MetalsGrove Zuénoula Gold Project is a joint venture exploration project between Stellar’s Ivorian subsidiary Aucrest SARL (“Aucrest”) and MetalsGrove Mining Ltd. subsidiary MetalsGrove CDI Pty Ltd (MetalsGrove) to advance Stellar’s 395.78 square kilometer early-stage exploration permit in Côte d’Ivoire. The Zuénoula permit is strategically situated along the Abujar–Napié gold trend within the Oumé–Fetekro Birimian greenstone belt in central Côte d’Ivoire, 100km north of the Abujar Gold Mine and 160 km south of the Napié Gold Deposit. (see Figure 4 below)
Figure 4. Geology Map of the Stellar-MetalsGrove Zuénoula Gold Project and Historical Exploration Results1
1 Historical BLEG results sourced from African Gold Limited Annual Report 2023; Historical Auger drilling result sourced from Ricca Resources Limited Financial Report for half year ending 31 December 2021.
Qualified Person
The technical information contained in this release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Robert Perring, a current member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (MAIG) and Exploration Manager of MetalsGrove Mining Limited. Mr. Perring is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101.
About Stellar Africagold Inc.
Stellar AfricaGold Inc. is a Canadian precious metal exploration company focused on precious metals in North and West Africa, with active programs in Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire. Stellar’s principal exploration projects are its advancing gold discovery at the Tichka Est Gold Project in Morocco, and its early-stage exploration Zuénoula Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire which is operated in Joint venture with MetalsGrove Mining Ltd subsidiary, MetalsGrove CDI Pty Ltd.
The Company is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange symbol TSX.V: SPX, the Tradegate Exchange TGAT: 6YP and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange FSX: 6YP.
The Company maintains its head office in Vancouver, BC and has a country office in Marrakech, Morocco.
QA/QC
JORC Code, 2012 Edition – Table 1 Section 1- Sampling Techniques and Data
| Criteria | JORC Code Explanation | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| Sampling | • Nature and quality of sampling (e.g. | No drilling has been undertaken on Zuenoula |
| Techniques | cut channels, random chips, or | PR-750 |
| specifci specialized industry standard | ||
| measurement tools appropriate to the | All soil samples collected on Zuenoula PR- | |
| minerals under investigation, such as | 750 have been analysed for gold by frie assay | |
| down hole gamma sondes, or | at Bureau Veritas laboratory in Abidjan, Côte | |
| handheld XRF instruments, etc.) These | d’Ivoire. | |
| examples should not be taken as | ||
| limiting the broad meaning of | SOIL SAMPLING STAGES | |
| sampling. | • Stage 1: Initial, permit-wide, broad- | |
| • Include reference to measures taken | spaced soil sampling on 1000m x 1000m | |
| grid | ||
| to ensure sample representivity and | ||
| • Stage 2: Gold anomalous clusters and | ||
| the appropriate calibration of any | ||
| trends defined by multiple anomalous soil | ||
| measurement tools or systems used. | ||
| samples (+20ppb Au) are then infilled with | ||
| • Aspects of the determination of | soil samples collected on 400m x 400m | |
| mineralisation that are Material to the | grid | |
| Public Report. | • Stage 3: Coherent gold soil anomalies are | |
| then infilled with soil samples collected | ||
| on 200m x 200m grid | ||
| In cases where ‘industry standard’ work | ||
| • Stage 4: Higher-density soil sampling | ||
| has been done, this would be relatively | ||
| (100m x 50m), augering and/or trenching | ||
| simple (e.g. ‘reverse circulation drilling | ||
| are options that are considered for the | ||
| was used to obtain 1 m samples from | next phase of infill sampling depending | |
| which 3 kg was pulverised to produce | upon the coherency and areal distribution | |
| a 30 g charge for fire assay’). In other | of the gold anomalous soil samples | |
| • Stage 5: Aircore drill testing of coherent | ||
| cases, more explanation may be | ||
| gold soil anomalies. | ||
| required, such as where there is | ||
| coarse gold that has inherent sampling | ||
| SOIL SAMPLING PROCEDURES | ||
| problems. Unusual commodities or | ||
| • MGA has contracted the experienced | ||
| mineralisation types (e.g. submarine | ||
| consulting group SEMS Exploration | ||
| nodules) may warrant disclosure of | Services (SEMS) to conduct all soil | |
| detailed information. | sampling | |
| • Up to four sampling crews may be active | ||
| at any one time | ||
| • The MGA Exploration Manager was onsite | ||
| at the start of the field program to instruct | ||
| the sampling crew on the Standard | ||
| Sampling Procedure required by MGA | ||
| • MGA provided SEMS Exploration Services | ||
| with an Excel table listing the designated | ||
| sample point locations using WGS-84 | ||
| UTM zone 29N coordinates | ||
| • Each soil sample is collected from within | ||
| 20 metres of the designated sample point, | ||
| with the actual sample point then | ||
| recorded |
| • At each sample point: 1) the organic rich | ||
| soil is brushed away, 2) a 40cm deep hole | ||
| dug and the sample collected by taking a | ||
| channel-cut along the bottom 20cm of the | ||
| hole, 3) 1000g of the minus 2mm sieved | ||
| fraction of each sample is collected from | ||
| the sample point, 4) gold is determined by | ||
| fire assay (LDL 2ppb) | ||
| • Duplicate samples are collected every | ||
| 20th sample, certified reference material | ||
| (CRM) inserted every 20th sample, and | ||
| blanks inserted every 20th sample. | ||
| • Samples are stored at the secure SEMS | ||
| field compound in Zuénoula prior to | ||
| transport to Bureau Veritas in Abidjan of | ||
| gold analysis. | ||
| Drilling | • Drill type (e.g. core, reverse | • No drilling has been undertaken. |
| Techniques | circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary | |
| air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc.) | ||
| and details (e.g. core diameter, triple or | ||
| standard tube, depth of diamond tails, | ||
| face-sampling bit or other type, whether core | ||
| is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). | ||
| Drill Sample | • Method of recording and assessing | • No drilling has been undertaken. |
| Recovery | core and chip sample recoveries and | |
| results assessed. | ||
| • Measures taken to maximise sample | ||
| recovery and ensure representative | ||
| nature of the samples. | ||
| • Whether a relationship exists between | ||
| sample recovery and grade, and | ||
| whether sample bias may have | ||
| occurred due to preferential loss/gain | ||
| of fine/coarse material. | ||
| Logging | • Whether core and chip samples have | • No drilling has been undertaken |
| been geologically and geotechnically | • Soil samples are comprehensively logged | |
| logged to a level of detail to support | for a range of parameters including colour, | |
| appropriate Mineral Resource | soil horizon, sample weight, slope, | |
| estimation, mining studies and | dominant grain size (clay, silt, sand), | |
| metallurgical studies. | general topography, residual or | |
| • Whether logging is qualitative or | transported, proximity to artisanal | |
| quantitative in nature. Core (or | workings, other ground disturbances such | |
| costean, channel, etc.) photography. | as field plowing, and general land use | |
| • The total length and percentage of | (grassland, plantation, crop, etc.). | |
| the relevant intersections logged. | ||
| Sub-sampling | • If core, whether cut or sawn and | • No drilling has been undertaken |
| Techniques | whether quarter, half or all core | • No sub-sampling of the 1000g soil |
| and Sample | taken. | samples is undertaken prior to the |
| Preparation | • If non-core, whether riffled, tube | sample arriving at Bureau Veritas |
| sampled, rotary split, etc. and | laboratory |
| whether sampled wet or dry. | • At Bureau Veritas, the entire 1000g | |
| • For all sample types, the nature, | sample is pulped prior to the laboratory | |
| quality and appropriateness of the | taking a 50g split for lead collection fire | |
| sample preparation technique. | assay determination of gold | |
| • Quality control procedures adopted | concentration. | |
| for all sub-sampling stages to | ||
| maximise representivity of samples. | ||
| • Measures taken to ensure that the | ||
| sampling is representative of the in- | ||
| situ material collected, including, for | ||
| instance, results for field | ||
| duplicate/second-half sampling. | ||
| • Whether sample sizes are appropriate | ||
| to the grain size of the material being | ||
| sampled. | ||
| Quality of | • The nature, quality and | • Bureau Veritas is an internationally |
| Assay Data and | appropriateness of the assaying and | accredited assay laboratory located in |
| Laboratory | laboratory procedures used and | Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. |
| Tests | whether the technique is considered | • Assay results for all samples presented in |
| partial or total. | the announcement were determined by | |
| • For geophysical tools, spectrometers, | fire assay (Lab Code: FE450, LDL 2ppb), | |
| handheld XRF instruments, etc., the | which is a total gold extraction method for | |
| parameters used in determining the | analysis. | |
| analysis, including instrument make | • The lower detection limit (LDL) of 2ppb is | |
| and model, reading times, calibration | considered appropriate for greenfields, | |
| factors applied, and | early stage, exploration soil sampling | |
| their derivation, etc. | • Fire assay gold is considered one of the | |
| • Nature of quality control procedures | most reliable assay techniques for gold | |
| adopted (e.g. standards, blanks, | analyses. | |
| duplicates, external laboratory | ||
| checks) and whether acceptable | ||
| levels of accuracy (i.e. lack of bias) | ||
| and precision have been established. | ||
| Verification of | • The verifciation of significant | FIRE ASSAY ANALYSIS |
| Sampling and | intersections by either independent | • All samples have been analysed for gold |
| Assaying | or alternative company personnel. | by fire assay at Bureau Veritas laboratory |
| • The use of twinned holes. | in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire | |
| • Documentation of primary data, data | • The 1000g -2mm sample collected in the | |
| entry procedures, data verifciation, | field is analysed for gold by fire assay | |
| data storage (physical and electronic) | (Lab Code: FE450, LDL 2ppb) | |
| protocols. | • At the laboratory, the 1000g -2mm | |
| • Discuss any adjustments to assay data. | sample is dried and pulverised to 85% | |
| passing 75 microns. | ||
| • This sample pulp is then mixed with a | ||
| combination of chemical reagents, | ||
| which when heated to high temperatures | ||
| results in the formation of a lead button | ||
| and slag. The lead button that contains | ||
| the precious metals (including gold) is | ||
| cupelled at high temperature. The lead is |
| adsorbed by the cupel leaving behind a | ||
|---|---|---|
| bead that contains the precious metals. | ||
| • The bead is acid digested and analysed | ||
| by AAS, with a lower detection limit of | ||
| 2ppb Au | ||
| Location of | • Accuracy and quality of surveys used | • A handheld GPS is used to locate the soil |
| Data Points | to locate drillholes (collar and down- | data positions, with a +/-5m vertical and |
| hole surveys), trenches, mine | horizontal accuracy | |
| workings and other locations used in | • Sample locations (UTM WGS-84 zone | |
| Mineral Resource estimation. | 29N) and sample descriptions are noted | |
| • Specification of the grid system used. | on a standard form in the field and | |
| • Quality and adequacy of topographic | entered on a computer of an evening | |
| control. | • GPS measurements of sample positions | |
| are sufficiently accurate for exploration | ||
| targeting gold systems. | ||
| Data Spacing | • Data spacing for reporting Exploration | • An 1000m by 1000m offset grid pattern |
| and | Results. | has been adopted for the entire project |
| Distribution | • Whether the data spacing and | area, excluding areas of irrigated sugar |
| distribution is sufficient to establish | cane and villages. | |
| the degree of geological and grade | • Broad-spaced soil sampling (1000m by | |
| continuity appropriate for the Mineral | 1000m) and low level gold fire assay | |
| Resource and Ore Reserve estimation | analysis (LDL 2ppb) is considered an | |
| procedure(s) and classifications | effective technique for identifying and | |
| applied. | delimiting gold anomalous clusters and | |
| • Whether sample compositing has | trends, which are then followed up with | |
| been applied. | higher density sampling at 400m × 400m, | |
| 200m x 200m, and in some areas 100m x | ||
| 50m, as the next phases of sampling | ||
| ahead of trenching, augering, and drill | ||
| testing of coherent gold soil anomalies. | ||
| Orientation | • Whether the orientation of sampling | • The sample location configuration has |
| of data in | achieves unbiased sampling of | been deliberately planned to avoid |
| relation to | possible structures and the extent to | directional bias. |
| geological al | which this is known, considering the | |
| structure | deposit type. | |
| • If the relationship between the drilling | ||
| orientation and the orientation of key | ||
| mineralised structures is considered to | ||
| have introduced a sampling bias, this | ||
| should be assessed and reported if | ||
| material. | ||
| Sample | • The measures taken to ensure sample | • 1000g of the -2mm sieved fraction of soil |
| security | security. | samples are collected in plastic bags, |
| assigned individual sample numbers and | ||
| transported to the secure SEMS | ||
| compound in Zuénoula | ||
| • Samples have been analysed by fire assay |
| at Bureau Veritas in Côte d’Ivoire and | ||
| were personally transported to the | ||
| laboratory by a senior member of the | ||
| MetalsGrove Abidjan-based exploration | ||
| team. | ||
| Audits or | • The results of any audits or reviews of | • The sampling and assay techniques |
| Reviews | sampling techniques and data. | adopted by MetalsGrove has been |
| effectively used in the Vavoua-Kounahiri | ||
| district, and more widely in Côte d’Ivoire, | ||
| to define drill targets and it is considered | ||
| an effective initial approach for defining | ||
| gold anomalous lithogeochemical trends. |
Section 2 - Reporting of Exploration Results (Criteria listed in the preceding section also apply to this section.)
| Criteria | JORC Code Explanation | Commentary |
| Mineral | • Type, reference name/number, location | • Following the acquisition of the three |
| Tenement and | and ownership, including agreements or | Gemica joint venture (JV) permits PR- |
| Land Tenure | material issues with third parties such as | 454 (granted), PR-1063 (application) and |
| Status | joint ventures, partnerships, overriding | PR-1102 (application) in Côte d’Ivoire, |
| royalties, native title interests, historical | MetalsGrove entered into another JV | |
| sites, wilderness or national park and | with TSX-V listing company Stellar | |
| environmental settings. | AfricaGold Inc. (Stellar) on PR-750 | |
| • The security of the tenure held at the time | Zuénoula. | |
| of reporting, along with any known | • Zuenoula PR-750 was granted on 17 | |
| impediments to obtaining a licence to | April 2024 for an initial four-year period, | |
| operate in the area. | renewable for two additional three-year | |
| periods. | ||
| • The Vavoua permit is located with | ||
| Kounahiri West, Vavoua West and | ||
| Zuenoula permits occupy a combined | ||
| area of 1,315 km², strategically situated | ||
| along the Abujar–Napie gold trend within |
| the Oumé–Fetekro Birimian greenstone | ||
| belt in central west of Côte d’Ivoire, | ||
| approximately 100 km north of the | ||
| Abujar gold mine and 160 km south of | ||
| the Napie gold project. | ||
| Exploration | • Acknowledgement and appraisal of | • MetalsGrove is not aware of any |
| Done by Other | exploration by other parties. | previous systematic exploration for gold |
| Parties. | having been conducted within either | |
| Zuenoula PR-750, Vavoua PR-454, | ||
| Vavoua West PR-1102, or Kounahiri West | ||
| PR-1063 | ||
| Geology | • Deposit type, geological setting, and style | • The Vavoua, Vavoua West, Kounahiri |
| of mineralisation. | West and Zuénoula permits are located | |
| in the central west of Côte d'Ivoire at the | ||
| south edge of the West Africa craton. | ||
| This region is the world’s largest | ||
| Proterozoic gold-producing region, and | ||
| Côte d’Ivoire contains 35% of the | ||
| region’s Birimian Group rocks, which | ||
| host multiple multi-million-ounce gold | ||
| ore systems. | ||
| • The GEMICA JV permits and Stellar JV | ||
| permit, together cover a combined area | ||
| of 1,315 km², and are strategically | ||
| situated along the Abujar–Napié gold | ||
| trend within the Oumé–Fetekro Birimian | ||
| greenstone belt, and are located | ||
| approximately 100 km north of the | ||
| Abujar gold mine and 160 km south of | ||
| the Napié gold project. | ||
| Drillhole | • A summary of all information material | • No drilling results are included in this |
| Information | to the understanding of the exploration | release. |
| results, including a tabulation of the | ||
| following information for all Material | ||
| drill holes: | ||
| • easting and northing of the drillhole collar | ||
| elevation or RL (Reduced Level – | ||
| elevation above sea level in metres) of | ||
| the drillhole collar dip and azimuth of the | ||
| hole | ||
| • down hole length and interception depth | ||
| hole length. |